Synthesis and Characterisation of Al-Si Alloy
Within the last few years there has been a rapid increase in the utilization of aluminium-silicon alloys, particularly in the automobile industries, due to their high strength to weight ratio, high wear resistance, low density and low coefficient of thermal expansion. The advancements in the field of application make the study of their wear and tensile behaviour of utmost importance. In this present investigation, Aluminium based alloys containing 12% weight of Silicon were synthesized using Centrifugal casting method. In case of this centrifugal process the molten metal is poured in to the mould rotating at different rotational speeds. The centrifugal force helps in feeding and positioning metal in the mould. The product produced by centrifugal casting has a good quality, dimensional accuracy as Centrifugal casting results in denser and cleaner metal as heavier metal is thrown to parts of the mould away from the centrifugal action removes unwanted inclusions, dross, cleaner casting, and material that contains shrinkage, which can be machined away. Study of microstructure has showed the presence of primary silicon. Hardness is compared with the different casting speeds. Tensile tests were carried out with universal testing machine. Yield strength and ultimate tensile strength are studied for different rotational speeds. Wear behavior was studied and resistance to wear is analyzed. The worn surfaces were analyzed.
